


Breaking Out

by Yunoknifequeenxx



Category: My Time At Portia (Video Game)
Genre: Adult Content, Adventure & Romance, Arlo - Freeform, Arlo/Builder - Freeform, Drama & Romance, Eventual Sex, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Jealousy, My First Work in This Fandom, My time at portia, POV First Person, Partying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-06 23:42:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18861340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yunoknifequeenxx/pseuds/Yunoknifequeenxx
Summary: A shy and reserved builder named Clara begins to adjust to her life in Portia, desperately wanting a new start for herself. This workshop had it all, a house of her own, a chance for her to break out from her shell, and most importantly, proving herself to her Pa that she was capable of this, without his care all these years. But the one thing nobody told her, was that a certain suave redhead would be part of the deal. Arlo/Fem Builder





	1. A Night Out

**Author's Note:**

> Hii guys, this is my first My Time at Portia fanfic so I hope you guys give it a chance and end up liking it! Sorry if it's a bit slow at first, but I plan on picking things up really quickly. So I hope you enjoy!

I huffed loudly, remembering myself standing on the Portia Harbor, the fresh spring air blowing past me. I looked out one last time to the clear blue, sparkling water I had just sailed on that day. Bags in hand, I recalled how my bags weighed me down and immediately dropping them out of my hand. Was this real? What was expected of me? I had the ability to do this, so I hadn’t been doubting myself, though my father suddenly handing me this workshop took me by surprise. I wasn’t going to lie, we had never been as close as I had been with my aunt. He was always out and about doing things on his own schedule no matter how it affected others, more importantly, his family. I knew he lived out in Portia, but still didn’t hear from him much, or get to know him too well. I numbed myself from it, which helped me grow a backbone for myself. I wasn’t going to let myself get distracted by anything. Work would be my priority. It still was, even after only being here a few weeks. I was still getting used to how things would be from now on, and now since summer was almost here, I had to bust my ass even harder to get my workshop rank up.

I had gotten to know pretty much everyone in town, some more than others. Emily, whom I had bonded with most was helpful to show me around and how things worked around here. Occasionally, I would go over to her farm to help, the best I could do to show my gratitude. Days would go by fast, us talking about which crops are best to grow during each season, what made me decide to move here, and most of all, I had someone to talk to that helped me grow out of how reserved I could be sometimes. She was one of the first people that I talked to when I moved here. 

“Thank goodness the day is almost over. I think I’ve milked enough cows to keep us stocked the whole year!” Emily joked, as I released a small chuckle. “There’s enough for you to take home if you’d like.” 

“That’s kind of you Emily, thank you.” I stuffed the small bottles of milk into my satchel, wiping the sweat off my forehead from all the work. I beat myself up for how easily tired I got, but knew I would adjust once I worked a bit longer. “I don’t know if you know how appreciative I’ve been of you since I came here. Back home I didn’t really have anybody like that.”

She seem surprised, turning towards me as she finished up in the field. “Really? You seem like a kind girl. I can’t see why people wouldn’t gravitate towards you.” Her compliment flushed my cheeks to a bright pink. One thing I also loved about Emily. Not a negative bone in her body. Perhaps she got it from her grandmother.

“Well now you’re just flattering me.” I responded as we both chuckled together. “It’s not that I didn’t have any friends, it’s just easier to be your own company when you’re a bit of an outcast.”

“In Portia everyone is your friend. We say hello to everyone who passes by, and it’s easy to strike up a conversation with people here! Look how quickly we became friends.” Emily’s point was valid, everyone here was incredibly friendly. I had only been introduced to a few people, and knew I had a bit more people to meet, but in due time, I would realize my fears were only based on how shy I could be.

“Oh I know!” She exclaimed. “Why don’t we go to the Round Table tonight? Everyone is usually there this time of night and it’ll give you the chance to meet new people. How about it?” Her offer was a good one, placing my hand under my chin, I hesitated on accepting. I never went to bars, but I did tell myself I should open up more. Hell, why not?

“....A-Alright fine, fine let’s go.” Straightening myself up a bit, I didn’t look too visually dirty. My pink cotton tee smelt like the fields, and my light denim pants were slightly stained with dirt, but I figured no one would care. Emily seemed excited by my offer, grabbing my arm and started walking alongside me out of the fields.

As we walked I noticed how beautiful the sunset looked in the farm fields. I appreciated how beautiful Portia had been. Barnarock was a bit dry, so the grass hadn’t been as green as here. The air was fresh and the bright colors of the buildings was unique. The large fountain in the middle of the Peach Plaza reflected the orange in the sky. The beauty of this place was remarkable. But the closer we got to the restaurant, the more my nerves started to act up. My palms began to sweat, as I turned towards Emily before walking in the doors.

“I’m a bit nervous, I don’t know why. Is that dumb? That is so fucking dumb.” I shook my head while I felt Emily put her hand on my shoulder. She looked at me with an assuring glance. “You’ll be fine. I think you just need to get out more.” I knew she was right. It was my own fault. That’s why I moved her, to get out of my comfort zone. Start doing things that made me uncomfortable.

“No, you’re right. Come on let’s do this.” I crossed arms with her with a more positive attitude, as she pushed open the door, revealing a lot of civilians sitting around tables. Greeted by Django, he exclaimed in a loud voice “Welcome!”

“Hi Django, you’ve met Clara, yes?” Emily asked. He responded with a nod and came around from the front bar, reaching his hand out for me to shake.

“The new builder! Pleasure to meet you again. We only just said a hello in the Plaza once and I never saw you again.” He was a pleasant individual, putting a permanent grin on my face. Shaking his hand, he lead us over to a table to sit in the far corner. Nodding thanks, he shot us both a wink and returned to the bar. Chatter and laughs echoed the bar and I could tell it was like a home here. It’s a place I aspired to be. As I looked around, I felt a few glances over at us, from the table specifically right in the middle. I knew some people haven’t met me yet, I hadn’t known how to introduce myself properly.

“Um, who are they?” I whispered to Emily as we sat down. Turning around, she glanced over at the busy table in the middle of the room. 

“Oh, that’s the Civil Corps members. They come here after work a lot, and everyone sits with them. They’re like police around here.” She joked. I cast eyes with them and quickly looked away. “They’re not scary though, they’re nice. There’s usually three of them, but Arlo seems to be late. Did you want me to introduce-”

“N-No it’s okay! Let’s just order-”

“Hey guys! Have you met Clara yet?” Emily exclaimed over to them, standing out of her chair, immediately catching their attention. The smaller blonde girl wearing a pink jacket and green pants peeked behind Emily’s shoulder standing up out of her chair.

“E-Emily plea-”

“Clara was it?” The blonde responded. “Come over here, no need to be afraid! My name is Sam. We ain’t gonna bite are we guys?”

“Haha, I might!” A dark haired man responded in a blue vest and red neckerchief. Sighs escaped from a few individuals. 

“Albert you’re disgusting.” Sam gently knocked him over the head, motioning her hand over to come sit, pulling out a chair beside her. “Come on, don’t sit over there all by yourselves! Drinks on us.” My legs were shaking as I stood up, and Emily took my hand. Hesitantly walking over, the chatter began, and I nervously sat in between two of them, Emily beside the man making that comment earlier. Winking at me, I mouthed to her, “Oh my god.” She just giggled silently.

“So Clara, you’re the new builder! I don’t think you’ve met us yet. I feel like we’d be the first people you’d meet right guys? Why have we not introduced ourselves to her?” Referring to her peer, he turned towards me holding out his hand. His appearance seemed like he was an adventurer, white marks beneath his eyes and greenish hair. He was unique.

“I’m so sorry we didn’t meet earlier. I’m Remington, one of the leaders of the Civil Corps. Sam’s right, we should of introduced ourselves to you. It’s been busy lately.” He was a gentleman, shaking my hand gently and a warm smile escaped from his lips. “How is it adjusting? Have you been doing commissions lately?”

“You don’t have to apologize. Referring to commissions, yeah, I’ve taken a few.” I spoke in a relaxed tone. “I’m slowly getting used to it and eventually will take more than I can handle. Higgins can’t keep first place forever.” The conversation flowed out effortlessly and they all engaged with me. I hadn’t known why I was so worried. Speaking to them seemed so easy, and I then knew Emily was right, like she always was. We all continued to talk about each other, they asked about my life before here, what jobs I had, and how much I liked Portia. We went on and on until our conversation paused from the front door bell chiming. 

“Arlo! Finally you get here! Everything alright down in the wasteland?” Sam spoke from the other side of the room, catching the red headed man’s attention, he turned to face us and began walking over. "You could of called us ya know." Sam spoke aloud again.

I could only just look at him. My gaze wouldn’t break. He was incredibly handsome. His blue eyes captivated me. His appearance was a bit dirty, but that just proved he was a busy man. Tall and slender, the closer he got, the more my heart began to pound. Why was I so nervous to meet a man I had never even met before? Ensuring my palms weren’t sweaty when I shook his hands, I wiped them on my pant legs. God I’m disgusting.

“It’s fine. Just had to clear out some dangerous parts.” He now stood at the table, taking an open seat next to me. He glanced over beside to look at me, confused. “Who is this?” He asked his fellow corp members. His hand brushed through his hair and it squeezed my heart strings. How does someone look this effortlessly attractive?

“Clara meet Arlo. He’s the leader of the Civil Corps in Portia.” Sam said, as I watched him reach out his hand towards me. I slowly reached my hand out to shake it, hearing his deep voice yet again.

“Hey. Nice to meet you Clara.”

“Yes it is... I mean, nice to meet you too.” I stuttered like an idiot and they chuckled. What the hell was I thinking? This night was going well so far until I made myself sound completely stupid.

But it didn’t change the fact that I wanted to know more about him.


	2. Late Night Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doubting her abilities, Clara takes some time to herself to find what she wants. Arlo and Clara have a deep conversation under the wishing tree. Sonia comes up with an idea that will change everything.

Friday was here, and I was somewhat relieved the weekend had come so soon. It was a time where someone like myself, and the other busy Portians in town can take a break from all the work on their plates. Commissions were flying on the boards, and I had just helped Mcdonald fix up his stable after a storm had hit it. Now, I had received my first big project of building a bridge to Amber Island, requested by you know whom. It was a busy week and I felt weak. Had I worked myself up too much? How did Higgins always manage to take on more than he could handle? I sat under the wishing tree at the later hours of my Friday night. Emily had made plans with her grandmother which I understood so it had just been myself in my own company. I stared up at the stars, twinkling from above. Placing my face in my palms, I couldn’t control my own overwhelming thoughts that came to surface.

“Pa what were you thinking? Giving me an entire workshop like this...I don’t know if I can do it.” I spoke to myself aloud in the middle of the quiet plaza. I was supposed to be this strong, confident builder everyone in town expected me to be. It could have been the stress, but I could feel a wave of emotions flow out of me. I barely spoke to my father, still in disbelief that he trusted me enough to give me his old workshop. Reaching into my small brown satchel, I unfolded the letter he wrote me that Presley handed me when I first arrived. I hadn't known why I carried it almost everywhere with me. For reassurance perhaps.

“You are still my pride and joy.” I read, shaking my head. “Couldn’t you have told me that in person?” I sighed, stuffing it back into my bag. I wiped away a single tear running down my cheek, telling myself to not be weak. 

With my mind scattered all over the place, I hadn’t cared enough to hear footsteps approaching me slowly, my face still cradled in my hands. Slowly removing them, I saw a pair of brown boots with grey laces. My eyes slowly trailed up to see him, Arlo, standing above me. I could only look back down, avoiding his gaze. Of all times, he had to see me at my lowest. Wiping away my tears, I looked up at him hearing him speak.

“Clara, are you alright? Why are you here in these hours?” He asked me, his hand resting below his chin. Taking a seat next to me at a respectable distance, it made me a little nervous, but glad he had showed concern. “We were doing a late patrol of the area if that’s why you’re wondering why I’m here. You’re not in trouble or anything.” He smiled at me, knowing I hadn’t been in the mood to be cheerful.

“I see. Sorry, I just needed somewhere to think. It’s been a pretty stressful time for me.” I hadn’t wanted to pour out my whole feelings to him since we weren’t quite at that level yet. I never knew if we would be, but embarrassing myself in front of him wasn’t something I had planned. “You can go back to patrolling if you want.”

“You’re clearly upset about something. How can you expect me to just get up and walk away from a situation like this?” He was now making full eye contact with me, as I turned to face him. His eyes were an ocean blue, almost like the one I saw the day I came here. His head cocked to the side awaiting me to respond, instead of just staring at him. But god, was it hard.

“I dont know if I'm capable of doing this.” I spit it out finally. “My Pa, whom I had no relationship with, just handed me his old workshop as if I was able to handle it by my own. I wanted so bad to prove my worth to him. But how can I do that if he’s not even here?” I let out more than I should have, but the odd thing was, he was listening to me. My heart was racing, loud enough he could probably hear. When he hadn’t responded right away, I got a little nervous. Did I say too much?

“Sorry I-”

“Hey. You’re perfectly normal to think those kind of things. I’m going to be honest with you for a minute.” He leaned back into the bench, his head resting back to look up at the sky. “I didn’t always think I could be the captain of the civil corps. Fuck, I doubted myself almost everyday. Thought I was too weak. I trained a lot, almost everyday. Sure there were some days I thought I couldn’t do anymore. I wanted to give up. But here’s what I realized.” He paused, straightening his posture again to now look back at me.

“The only person that is expecting the most out of you, is yourself. Everyone else just views you from the outside. You get what I’m saying?” Processing his words, I began to understand his point of view. The more I considered it, the more it started to make sense to me. We were always our own worst critics. What other people thought of us, and how we thought about ourselves were completely different. 

“The point I’m trying to get across is, when you have something to work towards, and you keep that in your mind every single day with no doubts about yourself, it will make you stronger.”

“Is that why you’re so confident in yourself?” I teased, smiling back at him. His hand ran through his red locks, giving me a small smirk. 

“You bet. I keep my goals in mind every single day, wake up with that energy and it lasts me the whole day. Try it out sometime.” He nudged my arm with a fist. He was encouraging me and it felt good. A part hadn’t wanted him to stand up and leave. I wanted to hear him talk more. Hearing his advice gave me a sense of realization too. I didn’t need to prove myself to my Pa if the only person I had to prove my worth to was myself. No one had to expect anything out of me if I didn’t let them. 

“You know,” he opened his mouth to speak again. “I wouldn’t have let you take that commission if I didn’t think you could do it. Think about that for a second.” Those words sent a vibration of feelings through my body, immediately flushing my face. I felt the heat radiating from it. It gave me a boost of confidence that I needed. Hearing it from him was different. Arlo was someone I had only met recently, but somehow, our conversation flowed effortlessly. Though I always felt I looked and sounded like a complete idiot when he was near.

“I should probably get back to my rounds though. Do you need me to walk you home?” He asked me, as he stood up awaiting my response. Looking out towards the entrance of the central plaza, he noticed his other corps members approaching. I felt somewhat bad for keeping him late out like this. I was sure he was tired. As much as I wanted to continue speaking to him while walking home, I just shook my head no. But it didn’t stop me from saying one last thing to him tonight.

“Before you go...Arlo. Wait.” I said before he decided to walk off. Turning towards me, he kept his gaze on me as I spoke. “i Just wanted to say...thank you. You gave me the boost of confidence I really needed tonight.” I admitted, watching a grin grow onto his face. He took a step towards me, placing his hand on my shoulder with a firm, yet gentle grip.

“I believe in you Clara. Everyone gets hard on themselves sometimes. I’m glad I could help.” 

Don’t do this to me, I thought to myself. I so desperately ached for him at this current moment when I shouldn’t have. I barely knew the guy at a proper level, hell, I hadn’t even known if we were friends. I was just another citizen to him. The new builder girl who lacked confidence until now. It was because of him tonight, that I was able to feel good about what I was doing here in Portia. I couldn’t reach my hand out to stop him from leaving so I just watched him wave goodbye, walking slowly towards his companions. I turned my back, the biggest smile glimmering over my face. My eyes shut, I thought about Arlo, and the first true interaction I got with him. His advice was embedded into my brain, knowing I could believe in myself. Not that I wasn’t capable of it before, it was just much easier with someone to motivate me to get there. How is someone able to fall so hard for somebody like this? From only limited interactions and small glances, my heart yearned for him already. Before my own thoughts got too out of hand, I heard my name being called, snapping me back into reality.

“Clara? What are you doing out here girl?” It was a familiar, sweet voice. Peering over, I had noticed Sonia standing at the front of the round table entrance preparing to close. “There’s only one reason you’d be out this late on a Friday night.” She winked at me shaking her hips back and forth. Oh how totally wrong she was.

“Unfortunately I’m not as lucky as you.” I joked. 

“Well come in! We’re closed, but I’d love to catch up with you. Any friend of Emily’s is a friend of mine. If you’re not tired that is.” She opened the doors to the restaurant, her free arm waving me through to enter. “Django wouldn’t mind either. He’s gone home for the night so it’s just me closing up anyways. I could use the company.” 

It would be nice to have some company too, I thought. Accepting her offer, I entered the restaurant by her demand. It was odd to hear the restaurant so quiet from its usual ambiance. The floors were freshly swept and a lingering smell of pine radiated off the tables. I could tell they always took excellent care of this place. It reminded me that when you really care for your business, or any job for that matter, you always try your best to keep up the good standards.

“Sit down sweetie. Tell me all your business. Your eyes are glossy I can tell you have something on your mind.” Sliding into a booth in the corner, I sat in the one across from her. Her hands entwined together, awaiting my response. I hadn’t had much to rant about anymore, since my mind was a little more clear after talking with Arlo. I figured I’d be honest with her.

“Earlier in the night I was a bit stressed but I’m alright now.” I assured her. “I was sitting over on a bench by myself until Arlo came to talk to me a little.” Even saying his name aloud sent butterflies to my stomach. As soon as I said his name, her eyes lit up, leaning closer to me through the table. 

“Arlo? He came talking to you huh?” Her tone was flirtatious, causing me to shake my head, implying it wasn’t like that. “He’s sexy. One of the most eligible bachelors in town if I’m being honest. So are you two hooking up?”

I gasped at her claim. “W-What?! Of course not! I-I mean we didn’t talk that long and I don’t know if I’m his type.” My tone was shaky as I responded, knowing I could trust Sonia. 

“Hm.” Was all she responded, clicking her nails on the table. “So you do like him?” Questioning me, my eyes shot down to the floor, unable to say yes or no. Based on my body language she understood my answer and giggled a little bit. “I can read it on your face love. You’ve got the hots for the captain. I can't say I really blame you.” 

“I don’t know why. It was that first night I met him here. He just walked in and I froze. I’ve had plenty of crushes on guys back home, he just seemed more...manly I guess? But I know he doesn’t really notice me around much. He’s a busy man. I admire it though.” I already could feel my face light up as I spoke about him. 

The room was quiet for a bit, Sonia blankly staring at me. It was a bit awkward just sitting in silence, until she jumped upright, clapping her hands together. It was like a light bulb had appeared at the top of her head.

“I have an idea! A party. Tomorrow night.” She proudly exclaimed. 

“A party? For what?” I asked curiously. 

“I’m going to throw a party here. Duh.” She stood up, coming over to sit beside me. “It’s going to be a Saturday night. Everyone in this town works so damn hard they deserve a night of fun. Especially you. Besides, it will give you a chance to talk with him a bit more. A girl always helps out her girls!” Taking my hands in hers, she seemed proud of her idea. "I'll call Emily tomorrow to set it all up. Antoine will probably want to help with decorations."

As much as I hated to burst her bubble, I interrupted her exciting rambling. 

“Don’t you think you should ask Django first? I mean it is his restaurant. He probably wouldn't like the idea of a bunch of young adults partying in his professional business.” 

“Pfft. Django wouldn’t mind at all. He loves everyone in this town. He would probably agree with me. Besides..”

“It’s not like this party will get out of hand.” She said confidently.

Too bad her estimate was far off on how that night would go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew guys, the next chapter is going to be GOOD. It's going to be super fun to write. Also I really hope you guys are liking it so far. I have a lot of ideas for this story that I feel confidently about. It's definitely my own personal twist on the Portia series, so I'm hoping you guys stick around to see what happens.


End file.
